Act 1, Scenes 1 and 2 Summary

Scene 1 - Bishop Lampton, dressed in full robes, reads the funeral service over the casket of the Earl. As he and the Earl's family sing a hymn, the Earl takes off his robes with Tucker's help and reveals himself to be a frail old man. The action of this scene flows into the next.

Scene 2 - The Bishop joins the rest of the Gurney family: Sir Charles, the late Earl's half brother; Lady Claire, Sir Charles' wife; and Dinsdale, their son. They discuss the strange circumstances of the Earl's death. Their conversation makes it clear that no one else is to know of these circumstances. They also discuss what's going to happen to the estate, and Dinsdale says he doesn't understand what they're so concerned about since the Earl left an heir, Jack, who will become the 14th Earl...